Clodagh Finn: An ode to our local shops, the glue that binds communities together

I've fond childhood memories of my local shop but, even better, it's still thriving and actively giving back to the community

In Tralee as a six-year-old, I asked: 'How much are the penny sweets?' That shop is now an active community hub, supporting local businesses and raising funds for a refuge for women and children. Picture: iStock

There’s a great poem by Ben Okri called ‘The Corner Shop’ which describes how “the micro-history
of the land filters/ through those baked bean cans/ those lightbulbs” and all “those items indispensable for daily living” that stand proudly on the shelves of local shops the world over.

I feel a sense of that history whenever I step over the threshold of my local shop in Tralee. I haven’t lived in my hometown for close to three decades but, even behind a face mask, the staff at  Oaklands Daybreak still know who I am.